The Point of Life
Back Story Global Warming! That's what they were worried about. Back in 2022, the humans on Earth started having sunny, hot weather. I mean like a hundred degrees every day. During the winter months, when they used to have snow, sandstorms covered almost all of North America each year. People started to get worried. They thought that they would die from the heat, or dehydration. In 2023, they decided to do something about it. They stopped using electricity and stopped driving cars. They managed to cool down the earth until the temperature was 'normal'. But by then everyone was used to living without cars and electricity, so they didn't go back to the way it had been before. I wish they had. The earth continued to cool down until it was as cold as a block of ice, each day of the year. Now it is 2045, and I am living in a freezer. My name is Dina Rist. I live in Florida. I am 13 years old. Florida used to be a place with beaches and sand. Now it is a glacier. My red hair has strands of brown and blond running through it. My small eyes are as green as the grass was in the olden days. I have a tiny nose and a mouth that never smiles. It's not because of my family that I don't smile. It's because of how stupid and pointless the world seems to me. We're all gonna die someday, so what's the point of living a life that's not going to take you anywhere? I mean, everyone makes a big deal about wars and such, but really, they're all gonna end. War or no war, people die every day. Our whole world is crashing down. The crops never grow in the snow, and there's never enough money to buy coal to keep you warm. What's the point of living a torturous life if you're gonna die? Don't ask me, I'm just a poor citizen of the world. Chapter One It is a normal Monday morning, and I am heading off to work. In this decade, kids like me work instead of going to school. It is necessary if you want to survive. Everyone starts working when they turn ten. My family all work, and even then, there are some nights when we still don't have food on the table. There are no crops so we make artificial food that is like jelly. It is absolutely tasteless, making even eating boring. At least it has a point. To help you survive. But then again, why do we want to survive? I still don't know the answer but I haven't committed suicide yet. (Notice I said yet.) I only work because I want my family, who actually wants to live, to survive. I work in the food making industry. I add in all the chemicals. It's disgusting what they have us put in there. It's almost as disgusting as what they put in drugs until all the drug chemicals were destroyed. My dad builds houses for poor people. He doesn't earn nearly as much money as he should. My mother makes the actual money. She tells me that the United States are running low on materials. I think that she earns the most money of us all. Mostly because now and then she steals some money but still. Now I have reached my work, but instead of near the building, I see ruins! It looks like a bomb just went off! It probably did, too. I was lucky that I did not come in early or I would have been killed. But then again would that be so bad? When I see my best friend's smoldering body, I know I that I am unlucky. "Kaiden!" I scream. I run over to her. "Wake up! You have to wake up!" My vision gets blurry which can only mean one thing. I am crying. "Listen to me!" I plead, but now even I can see that there's no hope. "Please." I almost whisper. My heart may be beating but I have almost died. I just lost the one thing that I could not bear to lose. Sure I love my family but Kaiden was the only person who I could be myself with. The reality begins to sit in. I bury my face in my hands and sob. I don't even try to hold it in. The tears flow and my throat makes weird gulping noises. I know this is what Kaiden would want me to be like. I raise my head and stand up. I am filled with fury. "I hate you!" I scream. I don't know who did this but who ever it was is going to pay. I need another job as I won't be supplied with one automatically. My boss was killed. I should immediately go to find a new one, but I'm not gonna leave Kaiden. Now I have definitely lost my will to live. Chapter Two I sit beside Kaiden for two whole hours, my tears never stop flowing. I should be eating lunch now. But since I don't have any money in my pockets, I have to take some food from my family's emergency stash. I stand up and start walking home. My feet drag behind me as I walk as slow as I can. Despite my effort, I still manage to make it home in fifteen minutes. I find a supposedly a medium size, clear blob. I make a one blob omelet with some of the blob and simply leave the rest plain. I slowly eat some of the omelet, but my hunger gives in. I gobble up all of the omelet and have to force myself not to do the same with the blob. I walk out the door, not bothering to lock it. There is nothing valuable in there anyway. All we have is a cupboard for our pantry, a fireplace to cook food over, and a bed. I usually sleep on the floor. I walk my way over to the town square where I can see that my work building was not the only building destroyed. The place is packed with wounded people. The mayor is standing on a pedestal at the front of the crowd. He takes out a megaphone and says, "Attention, attention! It has been clear to all of us, that bombings have taken place today," he announces. "We will therefore be having a roll call, assuming that all the survivors are here. Let's begin. Kaiden And!" I know that no one will respond. "Very well," he goes through a ton of names and at last he comes to my family. "Dina Rist!" "Here!" I shout. "Patrick Rist!" My father. He must be alive. "Here," He says in his deep voice. I am relieved. "Martina Rist!" There is no response. I sink to my knees. She's dead. The two most important women in my life have just died. I don't even try to stop my tears from falling. The mayor goes through another hundred names or so, until he finally lets us out of the square. I push through the crowd to find my dad. He is walking slowly at the end of the group. I throw myself into his arms, and we cry over my mom's death. He loved her very much. Even though it meant leaving all his family and money behind, and working hard every day, he married my mother. Now she is dead and I don't know what will happen to him. Maybe he will be like me, a negative, suicide planner. Chapter 3 After yesterday I have a very restless sleep. I wake up several times, but then quickly fall into a sleep filled with nightmares. When I wake up the next morning, I don't know where I am. I look at my surroundings, and finally realize that I am home. I look for my father but can't find him. I'm guessing that he went to the town square to look for a job. I get dressed and walk to the town square. My father isn't there. I think back to my house. There was a note on the table but I didn't bother to read it. I run back to our house and read the note. Dear Dina, I know this must be a very hard time for you to be left alone, but I have gone searching for the murderer who took your mother's life. Don't go looking for me. My journey is dangerous. Love you lots, Dad He left me. The time when I really needed him, he left me. I don't care what the note said, I am going after him. I get out a small backpack and fill it with the rest of our food supplies, medicine, and my clothing. I bring extra mittens and scarves, in case it is a cold journey. I put on my biggest coat, and I'm off. Chapter 4 If I were dad, where would I go? I start off by going to his old house. Maybe he went there first and told them where he was going. They're house is in the wealthier part of town. I walk until I reach the town square, where I start running. I don't want to be reminded of my mother's death. If my dad walked to his family's house, I wonder if he ran past this place too. I know I'm on the right track when I see the wealthy knitter sitting on his porch. He made the hat and gloves that I am wearing. They are hand-me-downs from my dad's sister, who can afford such luxury. I give a slight wave and keep going. I see the house. Its made of bricks like the others. In this area it is. In my little area, all of the houses are made of the cheapest, flimsiest wood you can buy. I walk up the front steps and knock on the door. It takes a while for someone to open. When the door does open, it is grandma. Her eyes are shedding tears. I don't even say hi, I just walk through the door and what do I find? My dad is sitting on the leather couch, surrounded by crying relatives and friends. He is crying too. When he sees me, he is trying to stop. He stands up and comes up to me. He bends down and grabs my shoulders. I just stand there. "I told you in my note not to go after me," He says. But he does seem relieved. I hug him. He hugs me back. "I just wanted to see you," I say, but its barely audible. My voice is clogged with tears. "I know you want to come with me," His voice is strong. "Will you allow it then?" "I think we would be better off together," Now its all I can do not to strangle him with my hug. I hug him as hard as I can. Chapter 5 "WE have to get going." My dad whispers in my ear. So we say our goodbyes and leave, heading towards the big mountain about 10 kilometers away. We don't speak until we get to the mountain. My dad turns to me and says. "You can still go back," really? You'd think he knew by now that i wasn't leaving. I just start climbing the mountain, assuming that's what he wanted me to. "No. We have to go through the mountain. " "How?" I say. Annoyed that he didn't tell me that earlier. "I got some dynamite from my job." My dad works in the war preparation services and since we are pretty much out of nuclear weapons, we have to use dynamite. He pulls it out of his satchel and lights it with the matches that he also brought. He throws it at the rock and run s back and signals for me to do the same. I do run back, and just in the nick of time. It explodes, rocks showering whoever dared strand close. But my dad and I are to smart. And no one else was even near. Once the smoke cleared, we stepped inside. I was surprised to see it was lit by candles and there was a table in the middle. The last thing I remember is a searing pain in my back, before I became unconscious. END OF BOOK ONE Thanks for reading everybody! I'll be starting book two soon!:) "Love will always be there!"-Quote by Fel (talk) 23:46, December 28, 2012 (UTC) Category:Sci-Fi Category:Stories